Rehoboth (A 8)

Name: Rehoboth

Rehoboth is a town in central Namibia. Located on the B1 road, 90 kilometres south of the Namibian capital Windhoek, Rehoboth lies on a high elevation plateau with sparse rainfall, but with several natural hot-water springs. In 2005, it had a population of 21,378. Geo-coordinates: 23°19′S 17°05′E / 23.317°S 17.083°E / -23.317; 17.083.

Administration

Administratively, Rehoboth is classified as a town with its own council of 7 elected individuals.

Public amenities include a public hospital, primary and secondary schools and a district court with resident magistrate.

Rehoboth is divided into eight neighbourhoods, called blocks. The oldest part of the town is blocks A, B and C, whereby block B contains most public services and shops. Block D is home to the wealthiest inhabitants of the town. Block E is the poorest neighbourhood and was originally (under Apartheid) designated for blacks. Blocks F,G and H are the newest neighbourhoods.

The Oanob Dam, approximately six kilometres from Rehoboth, supplies the town with fresh water. The majority of the population consists of "Basters" (bastards)

About 55 000 basters live in Namibia, they are the offspring of Nama and Dutch Settlers. these children were called coloured or basters. In the late 1860's with mounting pressure from the Boers a group of about 90 families trekked to Namibia. They initially settled near Warmbad in southern Namibia, but in 1880 the settled in the area of Rehoboth. At that time this are was home to the Bondelswart, a group of Namas.

The home language of the basters is Afrikaans, a language they share with many white Namibians. The Basters are proud of their name and history, even though the word baster is means bastard. They feel they are different from other coloureds due to their unique history and the fact they have been settled in their own area for more than 100 years.

The majority of basters still live in the Rehoboth Gebied (area) but many work in Windhoek were they often work in the building trade.

History

In prehistoric times the area of the present day Rehoboth town was inhabited by Nama (Khoikhoi) groups who called it !Anis meaning smoke; referring to the cloud of condensed water vapour hanging over the hot springs in the morning.

The missionary Heinrich Kleinschmidt of the German Rhenish Missionary Society named the place Rehoboth in 1845, when a mission was established among the resident Nama (Khoikhoi). In 1864, the Nama, as a result of war, abandoned the area.

In 1870, the Basters, who had migrated out of the Cape Colony in 1868 moved into the territory and were granted permission to settle at Rehoboth by the participants of the peace conference of Okahandja on 23 September 1870. In a few years, the Basters were closely linked to the town of Rehoboth and became identified as Rehoboth Basters or Rehobothers. The population increased rapidly from an initial number of 333 in 1870, 800 in 1874 and 1500 by 1885. The growing Baster population settled in the surrounding areas, which would become known as the Rehoboth Gebiet (meaning ‘area’).

In 1885, Baster kaptein Hermanus van Wyk signed a 'Treaty of Protection and Friendship' with the German Empire which permitted him to retain a degree of autonomy in exchange for recognising colonial rule. Relations between Rehoboth and Germany remained close for more than twenty years but in 1914, following the outbreak of World War One, Germany's use of Baster soldiers to guard South African prisoners - contrary to the terms of their enlistment - led to armed revolt. German forces then attacked Rehoboth, committed atrocities against Baster civilians and attacked refugees encamped upon the mountain of Sam Khubis, but, despite repeated attacks and the use of superior weaponry, were unable to destroy the Basters' position. Next day, the Germans retreated and Rehoboth's Baster community was reprieved.

Namibia was occupied by South Africa in 1915 and, ten years later a second rebellion broke out at Rehoboth, the Basters had a small uprising as they decided it was time for their own independence. This revolt was not taken extremely seriously, as it amounted to a few men barricading themselves in a house. And after a few weeks the situation was settled without any violence. This revolt collapsed, however, when colonial forces - armed with machine-guns and supported by two warplanes - marched into the town and arrested more than 600 people.

This information has been obtained from Wikipeadia (20/03/2010) and other sources such as: http://www.namibian.org/travel/namibia/population/basters.htm.

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